Photos Metal Monday - Post Your Metal TRADITIONAL Pics

Jack Black said:
I have a K55 Tom, it's a classic, but the Boker is quite different, it's slipjoint with a slightly hollow-ground drop-point blade, in stainless.
Click to expand...
The overall shape of the Boker, the folded metal handle, and the exposed spring where the K55K lock release is seem to me to be intentionally evocative of the Mercator, though.
 
Just Tom. said:
The overall shape of the Boker, the folded metal handle, and the exposed spring where the K55K lock release is seem to me to be intentionally evocative of the Mercator, though.
Click to expand...

While it was originally produced by Kauffmann, the famous K55K 'Black Cat' has been most famously produced by Mercator. While other German firms have made exact copies, the Boker Plus Atlas doesn't have a lot in common with it, in my opinion. Unlike the Cognet series of knives, for example, or Cold Steel's Pocket Bushman, the spring isn't enclosed. Then there's the blade, it's the same polished drop-point blade that Boker Plus use on some of their other knives (the Tech Tool series for example, which have synthetic or wooden covers), and it has the same hollow-grind, whereas the Mercator is a Spear-point blade, with a flat grind. The blade is stainless rather than carbon-steel, and at 2.64", it's nearly an inch shorter than the Mercator blade, and a substantially smaller knife all-round. Unlike the Mercator, the Atlas doesn't lock, and it doesn't have a bail either. It's made of copper, and the handle isn't actually a folded sheet of metal; as you noted, the spring is exposed, and the stainless spring runs the full length of the handle, forming a butt plate, with a lanyard hole. The Atlas also has that large pivot pin of course, and (sadly), Boker felt the need to add a (thankfully removeable) pocket-clip. The knife is also available with scissors, I think if Boker had wanted to produce a Mercator 'knock-off', they could have probably produced something with more in common, like the German-made K55K clone below for example. I like drop-point blades, and we don't see a lot of them on folders, so I'm glad they went with this blade, rather than copying the Mercator's spear-point.

UO8JEAA.jpg
 
Last edited:
Jack Black said:
While it was originally produced by Kauffmann, the famous K55K 'Black Cat' has been most famously produced by Mercator. While other German firms have made exact copies, the Boker Plus Atlas doesn't have a lot in common with it, in my opinion. Unlike the Cognet series of knives, for example, or Cold Steel's Pocket Bushman, the spring isn't enclosed. Then there's the blade, it's the same polished drop-point blade that Boker Plus use on some of their other knives (the Tech Tool series for example, which have synthetic or wooden covers), and it has the same hollow-grind, whereas the Mercator is a Spear-point blade, with a flat grind. The blade is stainless rather than carbon-steel, and at 2.64", it's nearly an inch shorter than the Mercator blade, and a substantially smaller knife all-round. Unlike the Mercator, the Atlas doesn't lock, and it doesn't have a bail either. It's made of copper, and the handle isn't actually a folded sheet of metal; as you noted, the spring is exposed, and the stainless spring runs the full length of the handle, forming a butt plate, with a lanyard hole. The Atlas also has that large pivot pin of course, and (sadly), Boker felt the need to add a (thankfully removeable) pocket-clip. The knife is also available with scissors, I think if Boker had wanted to produce a Mercator 'knock-off', they could have probably produced something with more in common, like the German-made K55K clone below for example. I like drop-point blades, and we don't see a lot of them on folders, so I'm glad they went with this blade, rather than copying the Mercator's spear-point.

UO8JEAA.jpg
Click to expand...
I stand corrected, then. Still, while very different in all those aspects you mentioned, to me the design looks inspired by the Black Cat sort of in the way modern traditionals draw on older patterns, or new Minis or Beetles draw inspiration from the older models, while being entirely different vehicles.

Edit:
It was clearly exaggerating to call it a knock-off, though. Another failed attempt at humor on my part…
 
Last edited:
Just Tom. said:
I stand corrected, then. Still, while very different in all those aspects you mentioned, to me the design looks inspired by the Black Cat sort of in the way modern traditionals draw on older patterns, or new Minis or Beetles draw inspiration from the older models, while being entirely different vehicles.

Edit:
It was clearly exaggerating to call it a knock-off, though. Another failed attempt at humor on my part…
Click to expand...

I'm glad it reminded you of your favourite knife Tom, as does this one I imagine :) :thumbsup:

tnLNx6p.jpg
 
Jack Black said:
I'm glad it reminded you of your favourite knife Tom, as does this one I imagine :) :thumbsup:

tnLNx6p.jpg
Click to expand...
😄:thumbsup::thumbsup:
Except the Black Cat is not my favorite…
My favorite is the Okapi 907E ratchet knife - a case of the Germans ripping off the French, not a case of the French ripping off the Germans like the Douk Douk Squirrel there :rolleyes:

Again - just joking. Don’t want any Douk Douk fans up in arms!

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top